Potato-harvester.



BAITENTED FEB. 4, 1908.

POTATO HARVESTER.

APPLICATION FILED FBB.2.1907.

HEIMBURGER.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Win/tax:

- vester constructed in FREDERICK W. HEIMBURGER, OF HURON, OHIO.

POTATO-HABVESTER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK W. HEIM- BURGER, residing at Huron, in thecounty of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new anduseful Improvement in Potato-Harvesters, of which the following is jmanner and wherein means is provided for positively separating from thetops orvQes any potatoes that may adhere 1 thereto.

Generally speaking, the invention may be defined as consisting of thecombinations of elements-embodied in the claims hereto annexed.

In the drawings forming a part hereof, Figure 1 represents a sideelevation of a har accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 represents alongitudinal sectional view of the harvester shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3represents a top plan view of such harvester; and Figs. 4 and 5represent perspective details of the combined screens and carriers whichI employ for elevating the potatoes and simultaneously separatingtherefrom the dirt, vines, and. other refuse matter.

The harvester comprises a main frame 1 mounted on suitable drive wheels2, said drive wheels being connected by a shaft 3 suitably supported inthe frame. On shaft 3 there is rigidly mounted, adjacent one of thedrive wheels and outside of the main frame, a spur wheel 4 meshing witha similar spur wheel 5 mounted on a shaft 6. Rigid with said shaft 6 andadjacent each end thereof is a sprocket gear 7. 8 denotes a shaftextending across the front portion of frame 1 and havingmounted thereonand adjacent each end thereof a roller 9.

Sprocket wheel 7 and roller 9 are for the purpose of driving thecombined carrier and screen 10. The frame is provided, at oppo sitesides thereof, with rollers 11 over which the lower portion of carrier10 travels for the purpose of preventing undue sagging thereof.

Specification of Letters Patent. v Application filed February 2.1907.Serial No. 355.431.

Patented Feb. 4, 1908.

, V Shaft 3 is also provided at any suitable point adjacent to an'endthereof Witha sprocket wheel 12 adapted to drive a sprocket wheel 13 onshaft 14, which is to the rear ofshaft 6 and above the latter shaft. Thesize of the gears,4=and 5 and 12 and 13 is such as to cause shaft 6 tobe driven at a greater rate of speed than shaft 3 and shaft 14 to bedriven at a greater rate of speedthan shaft 6.

Adjacent each end of shaft 14 there is provided a sprocket wheel 15, andat each side adjacent to the rear end of the scoop or plow 16 is mounteda roller 17, around which extends the front end of the combined carrierand screen 18. Below 1 and to the rear of sprocket wheels 15 is mounteda pair of idlers 19, for a pur ose to be hereinafter described; andmounte on opposite sides of the frame and about midway of the lengththereof is a pair of rollers 20, the latter rollers being for of carrier18 from unduly sagging.

Shaft 6 is also provided with a bevel gear 21 thereon and rigidtherewith, said gear meshing with a bevel gear 22. on a shaft 23. Shaft23 is suitably supported, as between hangers 24. Between the lower endsof hangers 24 is mounted a shaft 25. By means of a sprocket 26 on shaft23 and a sprocket 27 on shaft 25 and a chain 28, the motion of shaft 23is transmitted'to shaft 25. Shaft 25 is extended rearwardly and has itsrear end supported by hanger 29. The portion of shaft 25 between rearhanger 24 and hanger 29 is provided with a pair of sprocket wheels 30 bymeans of which and a suitable pair of rollers at the opposite side ofthe frame a carrier or conveyer 31 is driven. It will be observed thatthe transverse carrier 31 is arranged immediately at the rear of carrier10 in the base of the trian le formed by roller 17, sprockets 15 andiers 19, in such position as to .receive any articles delivered from therear of the latter carrier.

32denotes draw bars which are connected to opposite sides of the frameof the apparatus, the front ends of said draw bars being connected to asuitable truck 33.

The carriers 10 and 18 are represented in Figs. 4 and 5. As willappearfrom Fig. 4, carrier 10 is preferably formed of a series of heavy wireloops 34, each of said loops being substantially U- haped with the endsof the parallel members bent back upon themselves the purpose ofpreventing the lower portion of the front of the frame and immediately--with said cross wires or rods 36 to form but, being of less width thancarriers 10 and are delivered free from foreign matter, from to formhooks 35, said hooks engagin the o posite corners of the next adjacentoop. Tile distance between gears 7 is, such that the teeth of each gearengage the cross wire of each loop 34 adjacent to the corners thereofand the teeth of such sprockets are spaced to correspond to the distancebetween said cross ars.

The carrier 18 is preferably constructed as shown in Fig. 5 andcomprises a series of cross wires or bars 36 having their opposite endsconnected to links 37 of the drive chain, said links being adapted to beengaged by the teeth of. the sprocket wheels 15. Cross wires or rods 36are spaced apart a greater distance than are the cross wires 34 ofconveyer 10 and are provided with longitudinally extending chains 38which are connected therewith coarse meshes 39.

The frame is provided at opposite sides thereof with rollers 40 overwhich links 37 pass to prevent undue sagging of the carrier 18. As therear or delivery end of carrier 18 is located beyond the rear side oftransverse carrier 31, the idlers 19 are provided and are so located asto carry the lower rear portion of carrier 18 to the rear of and belowthe transverse carrier 31. As will appear from Figs. 1 and 2, carrier 31is preferably constructed in the same manner as carrier 10,

18, the cross wires thereof are concaved in order to retain the potatoesthereon. By means of carrier 31, the potatoes are conveyed to the sideof the apparatus andmay be delivered into any suitable receptaclelocated adjacent to the discharge end thereof. In operation, the plow orscoop 1.6 unearths the potatoes, and the potatoes, together with thevines, clods, weeds, etc., are delivered onto the carrier 18. As thepotatoes and refuse matter are elevated by carrier 18, the vines andother material which are too coarse to pass through the meshes of saidcarrier are retainedon carrier 18 and the potatoes and finer materialdrop onto carrier 10. As one of the carriers (as carrier 18) travels ata faster rate of speed than the other, any

otatoes which may drop through the meshes, of the former carrier andstill adhere to their vines will be detached from the vines by therelative movement of the two carriers. The vines and other refusematters retained by carrier 18 are discharged at the rear of theapparatus. Meanwhile, the potatoes, with such dirt, clods, etc. as maybe de osited on carrier 10, are elevated thereby. y means of the camwheels 41 located at op osite sides of the frame, the carrier 10 isshaken and the dirt and other refuse matter are separated thereby fromthe potatoes, which the rear end of said carrier 10 onto the transversecarrier 31. It will be noted that the front or lower ends of carriers 10and 18 are in close proximity and the distance between such carriersincreases toward the rear of the machine. This arrangement of thecarriers, cou led with the fact that they are driven at ifferent ratesof speed, assists greatly in the separation of the potatoes from theclods of earth which are t rown upon the upper carrier by the plow orscoop. The potatoes and clods will drop throughmeshes of the uppercarrier onto the closely spaced cross wires of the carrier 10 and, atthe contiguous ortions of said carriers, the potatoes and the argerclods will occupy the space between the carriers, resting on top of thecarrier 10 and extending into the meshes of carrier 18. The result willbe that, for a certain distance of their travel, the clods will beground to I pieces by the relative movement between the carriers whilethe otatoes, owing to their generally rounded s ape, will turn or rotateby this relative movement and will not be injured. By the time thatsuflicient space is provided between the carriers for the receptiontherebetween of the clods and potatoes, the former will have beenmaterially reduced by the action just described and, by the time thepotatoes are conveyed to the u per or discharge end of carrier 10 theywi be free from clods.

In order to prevent any vines from being drawn through the meshes. ofthe u per carrier by reason of the drag produce thereon by the potatoesengaging the lower carrier and the diiference in the rates of travel ofsaid carriers, I have provided means for holding the vines in contactwith the upper carrier. This means preferably consists of an apron 42,which may be made of sheet iron and having the rear end thereofpivotally fastened to the opposite sides of the frame, as at 43, and thelower end thereof provided with a roller 44. To s ace the roller asufiicient distance from t e upper carrier to permit the materialcarried thereby to pass beneath the apron, the roller is supported abovethe upper surface of said carrier as by means of flanges or ribs 45 projecting inwardly from opposite-sides of the frame and adapted to sup ortthe ends of the roller. The material w ich is discharged from the plowor scoop upon the front end of the carrier 18 is in such quantity thatthere will be no danger of the complete .separation of the dirt, etc.,from the weeds and vines until the material has been carried aconsiderable distance by the carrier 18. For this reason, the lower endof the apron and the roller theron are located about one fourth of thedistance from the frontof the carrier to the rear thereof. As thematerial engages the roller, the latter is free to move in. a vertheroller and under theapron 42. By the time the potatoes are free to dropthrough tical direction and the vines, etc. pass under' face of carrier10, the apron will retain the said carriers, substantially as specified.

for driving said carriers at different rates of ward end adjacent to theplow or scoop to apron supporte the meshes of carrier 18 onto the uppersurvines in a flattened condition and will prevent them from being drawnthrough the meshes by the drag or pull (which will be ex erted u on anypotatoes adhering to the vines) y the differences in the rates of speedof the carriers.

By the construction hereinbefore described, I provide a particularlycompact and efficient form of potato harvester. The carrier for thevines, weeds, etc., surrounds the two carriers for potatoes, enablingthe latter carriers to operate without interference by the formercarrier. The potatoes are effectively separated from the weeds, vines,etc., this action being furthered by the relative movement betweencarriers 10 and 18, whereby any potatoes that may drop through themeshes of carrier 18 and be clinging to the vines will be detachedtherefrom.

I claim:

1. In a potato harvester, the combination of a frame, a plow or scoop,an endless carrier triangular in outline and having its apex adjacent tothe plow or scoop, a second endless carrier within the former carrierand extending in the same general direction, with its delivery endspaced from the base portion of the former carrier, a transverse endlesscarrier located within the baseportion of the former carrier with itsupper surface in position to receive the material delivered from thesecond carriers, and means for driving 2. In a potato harvester, thecombination of a frame having at the forward end thereof a plow orscoop, an endless carrier having the front end thereof located adjacentto said plow or scoop in position to receive-the materials dischargedtherefrom, a second carrier within the first-mentioned carrier andhaving its upper surface spaced therefrom, means speed, and means forshaking the upper portion of the second carrier, substantially asspecified.

3. In a potato harvester, the combination of a frame having at theforward end thereof a plow or scoop, an endless carrier having the frontend thereof located adjacent to said plow or scoop in position toreceive the ma terial discharged therefrom, a second carrier within thefirst-mentioned carrier and having its upper surface spaced therefrom,said second carrier having finer meshes than the first-mentionedcarrier, means for driving said carriers at different rates of speed,and means for shaking the upper portion of the second carrier.

4. In a potato harvester, the combination of a plow or scoop, a carrierhaving its forreceive materials discharged therefrom, an

close proximity thereto, a second carrier below thefirst-mentionedi-carrier, and means for driving said carriers atdifferent rates of speed, substantially as specified.

5. In a potato harvester, the combination of a plowl or scoop, a carrierhaving the forward end thereof adjacent to the plow or scoop to receivethe materials discharged therefrom, and a fiexibleapron above saidcarrier, substantially as specified.

6. In a potato harvester, the combination of a plow or scoop, a carrierhaving the forward end thereof adjacent to the plow or scoop to receivematerial discharged therefrom, and an apron above said carrier, saidapron being provided at its lower end with a roller and having its rearend pivotally supported above said carrier, substantially as specified.

7. In a potato harvester, the combination of a frame, a plow or scoop atthe forward end of said frame, a carrier Within said frame and havingits forward end adjacent to the plow or scoop to receive materialsdischarged therefrom, an apron above said carrier, said apron having aroller at the lower end thereof, means for supporting said rolleradjacent to but spaced from the upper surface of the carrier, and meansfor pivotally supporting the rear end of said apron from the frame,

substantially as specified.

8. In a potato harvester, the combination of a plow or scoop, a carrierhaving a portion thereof located adjacent to said plow or scoop toreceive the materials discharged therefrom, a second carrier having itsupper surface below the upper surface of the former carrier, means fordriving said carriers at different rates of speed, and means for holdingthe vines on the upper carrier, substantially as specified.

9. In a potato harvester, the combination of a frame, a'plow or scoop,an endless carrier triangular in outline and having its apex adjacent tothe plow or scoop, a second endless carrier within the first carrier andextending in the same general direction, with its delivery end spacedfrom the base portion of the former carrier, a transverse endlesscarrier located Within the base portion of the former carrier with itsupper surface in position to receive the material delivered from thesecond carrier,. drive wheels for said frame, a shaft therefor, anddriving connections between said shaft and all of said carriers,substantially as specified.

10. In a potato harvester, the combination of a plow or scoop, anendless carrier having its front end adjacent to said plow or scoop, asecond carrier within the first mentioned carrier and having the forwardupper portion thereof in closeproximity to the corresponding portion ofthe former carrier, the space between the upper portions of said cardabove said carrier'and 1:0, ,riers increasing from the front to therea1\ 0.

4i: 878,285 i I thereof, and means for driving said carriers atdifierent rates of speed, substantially as specified.

11.. In a potato harvester, the combination of a plow or scoop, anendless carrier having the front end thereof located adjacent to saidplow or scoop in position to receive the materials discharged therefrom,a second carrier within, the first mentioned carrier and having itsupper surface spaced from the corresponding surface of the formercarrier, and means for driving said carriers at different ratesof-speed.

12. In a potato harvester, the combination of a plow or scoop, anendless meshed carrier positioned to receive on its upper surface thematerials discharged therefrom, a second meshed carrier having its uppersurface below and spaced from the former carrier, the upper surfaces ofsaid carriers being close together for a portion of their travel andrellatively far apart for another portion of their travel, and means fordriving said carriers at different rates of speed, substantially asspecified.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

FREDERICK W: HEIMBURGER;

Vitnesses:

J. B. HULL, CHAS. NEILL.

